IETC's 20th anniversary

The 20th anniversary of the UNEP-Japan agreement to establish IETC fell on 30 October 2012. The occasion was celebrated at a reception on Monday 5 November, as part of the first biennium conference of the Global Partnership on Waste Management, which took place on 5 and 6 November in Osaka. The conference has been the main event organized by IETC in 2012 and attracted almost 200 participants from around the world.

The 20th anniversary year is a milestone in the history of IETC and a time of both opportunities and challenges. The centre’s new waste management programme is gathering pace, with the launch of fresh initiatives such as an “e-waste” policy dialogue and work on national waste management strategies to complement established technology projects. The year is concluding with four new publications, a major conference and the first meeting of the reconstituted International Advisory Board. Much remains to be done, however, to realize the vision of IETC as a global centre of excellence on waste management. In the coming year, IETC will need to continue to build its human and financial resources, engage with new partners and develop additional value-adding activities in order to play a stronger role in the busy international field of waste management. It will count on the support of members of the board in this journey.

Thank to all our partners in Japan and abroad for your ongoing support to UNEP IETC and its activities.